1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a corrosion sensor.
2. Prior Art Statement
It is known to applicant to provide a corrosion sensor having a housing means carrying an electrical switch means that has an actuator means normally held in one switch operating position thereof by a corrosion sensing member of the housing means and moving to another switch operating position thereof when the corrosion sensing member ruptures through the corrosion thereof caused by being exposed to a corrosive area so that the switch means will operate indicating means to indicate that the corrosive action taking place in the corrosive area is at an adverse level, the corrosive area being any desired fluid area, such as a heat exchanger fluid flow path means for a solar energy collecting system or the like.
Such prior known corrosion sensor has the corrosion sensing member thereof comprising an aluminum wire that holds a spring biased actuator of the switch means in its one operating position until the aluminum wire is sufficiently eaten away by the corrosive action of the corrosive area to permit the spring loaded actuator to break the strip of aluminum wire and move the switch means to its other operating position and thereby cause an indicator to indicate that such a corrosive action has taken place. The spring biased actuator includes a plunger that is covered by a resilient sealing boot that extends from the switch housing to the free end of the plunger.
The U.S. Patent to Lewis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,650, discloses a warning mechanism to indicate the presence of an impurity in a tube carrying a fluid and has a resin film-like member closing an open end of the housing that contains an electrical switch, the film-like member holding a plunger of the switch in one operating position thereof and sealing the chamber from the switch. When the film-like member ruptures, the same permits the spring biased plunger to move through the ruptured film-like member to actuate the switch to its indicating condition thereof.